[A/N] For anyone who was worried, I don't intend to just end this story completely. The problem is, now that I'm out of school for the year, and I have work to deal with (night shift, y'know), I've got less time than ever to actually do any writing. And it doesn't help that I keep buying new games to fill my time with anyway.

So if there's anyone still following this, I'd like to deeply apologize for the wait, the quality of the last chapter, and what's almost certainly going to be another long wait between chapters. I'm trying to make time for this story (and bouncing around some ideas in my head for a couple of others, as usual), but it never feels like enough. So I'm really sorry.

On a lighter note, I'm pretty proud of this one. I really hope you all enjoy.

Thwack.

Kiran swore loudly, then slapped one hand over his mouth. The other one went to his head, where a lump was forming.

In the dim light, he could just make out the edge of his desk hanging over the edge of his bed. He must've hit his head on it when he sat up. Gods, he needed a bigger room. The lack of space was getting bad for his health.

He stayed in his bed for a little while, nursing his injury, before forcing himself to get up. He was wide awake anyway.

Opening the door, he found exactly what he expected - it was the middle of the night. Kiran sighed. He had to make sure to get his rest now - the Order couldn't afford to lose its tactician - so he told himself he wouldn't stay up too long. A midnight snack was in order, then back to bed.

He started making his way to the mess hall. Moments like this didn't come very often; Kiran was usually a very deep sleeper, and didn't get much chance to see the Order's headquarters at night. He enjoyed it all the same, however. It was very quiet, compared to the usual hustle and bustle of the many warriors going about their business. He knew that some of the Heroes were night owls, and others never seemed to sleep at all - Odin and Arthur in particular leaned toward that latter category - but even despite that, he rarely happened across another person at night.

Kiran didn't mind. He didn't get time for himself very often, so he cherished the moments when they came.

He was about to step into the mess hall when he heard a noise. He briefly considered ignoring it, but decided against that course of action.

He wandered around for a little longer, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise, and eventually found himself at the training grounds. The area glowed with a blue light as divine lightning struck from nowhere. Kiran wandered toward the source.

It was as he expected; there was a midnight sparring session going on. He had a hunch about who it was, and hung back to observe.

The brilliant flashes of lightning continued to appear for several more minutes, firing from different directions, until things finally quieted down. He could hear conversation approaching him, from a man and a woman.

He waited until they were close enough to hear him, then said "couldn't sleep?"

There was a small gasp and a quiet yelp of surprise before a smooth female voice said "Summoner? Is that you?"

A moment later, the immediate area was lit up with a flickering light, and Kiran could make out the profiles of Reinhardt and Ishtar. The Goddess of Thunder had a crackling ball of lightning in her hand and a perturbed expression on her face.

"Were you following us?" she asked.

Kiran shook his head, and beckoned them to walk with him back into the building. "Nah, just happened to find myself out here. Why are you training so late at night?"

They walked. "I thought it would be a good idea to work on honing my senses in the dark," Ishtar explained. "I must prepare for all combat scenarios, and Sir Reinhardt graciously offered to help me."

Kiran looked back at the mage knight, who seemed to have the faintest hint of a blush on his face. "Well, wasn't that nice of him."

"Lady Ishtar's wish is my command," Reinhardt replied, somewhat stiffly. "It is but my humble duty." There was a short pause before he changed the subject. "What were you doing out this late, Kiran?"

Ishtar gave him a sideways look, but said nothing as Kiran recounted his little story. "I'm about to make my way to the mess hall now. You two should get off to bed."

"I would say that you need the sleep more than either of us, Summoner," Ishtar replied, but she couldn't quite stifle the yawn that came afterward. Kiran chuckled.

"I know, I know. One little snack and I'll go right back to bed," he assured. "I'll see you both in the morning."

Ishtar nodded, then turned back to the mage knight. "I am grateful for your help, Sir Reinhardt."

The knight lowered himself into a deep bow. "Of course, milady."

The Goddess of Thunder turned, stretched, and walked off. Kiran and Reinhardt watched her go until she extinguished the light in her palm, leaving the hall in darkness once more.

"She's very dedicated," Kiran noted.

"Yes, she is that."

"Quite the looker, too."

Silence.

"Reinhardt?"

"It is not my place to think of my liege in such a way, Kiran."

The summoner smirked. Reinhardt's voice sounded no different from usual, but Kiran had a hunch that if his face was visible, it would be a deeper shade of red than it normally was.

"And what of Princess Eirika?" he continued. "What would she say if she knew you were thinking like this?"

"Oh, don't be silly," Kiran replied, somewhat defensively. "A good friend of mine once told me that you can admire the lake without wanting to swim in it."

Reinhardt made a very uncharacteristic sound; if Kiran had to place it, he would say it was probably a snort of laughter.

"Anyway, I'm off," he continued. "To bed with you, Reinhardt."

"Of course, Kiran."

His footsteps sounded until they were too faint for Kiran to hear anymore. With that, he returned to his trip toward the mess hall.

{asterisks}

He woke up the next morning later than usual, which was a small mercy, but with a splitting headache, which was not. The lump on his head had gotten much, much worse. He grunted in pain, and considered staying inside - but it was a futile thought. There was work to be done. And if he didn't get himself out of bed, then-

"Kiran!"

There was a voice he recognized. "Morning... Commander Anna," he groaned. "What can I do for you?"

"You can get out of bed is what!" she cried. "People are waiting to see you!" Her voice softened a little now. "It isn't like you to sleep this late, Kiran. Is something wrong?"

He finally forced himself to sit up in his bed, rubbing his eyes at the light streaming into his room, and took a look at the commander. What he saw nearly caused him to burst out laughing.

"Commander?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you covering your eyes? And blushing?"

She paused, and what little he could see of her face grew annoyed. "I don't know how you sleep, Kiran! And I'd rather not see something I shouldn't!"

That did elicit a short laugh, and a wince of pain. "You can open your eyes. I'm decent."

She did so, hands going to her hips instead, and waited for an answer. Kiran sighed. "Nothing's wrong," he said. "I got up in the middle of the night, and it took me a while to get back to sleep."

She watched him carefully. "You're bleeding."

He blinked. "Huh?"

She leaned forward, and prodded his forehead. Kiran winced as her fingertip came away with a spot of scarlet. "Right there. Doesn't look too serious, but I'm not much of a healer. What happened?"

"Desk," he grunted in response. "I feel fine. Gimme a sec to get ready, or else you really will see something you shouldn't."

She huffed. "You are one of the most thoroughly infuriating men that I've ever met, Kiran."

Kiran gave her a little grin that he didn't quite feel as she walked out of the room, and he started to get dressed for the day.

He was pulling on his trusty white robe - clean, pristine, and replaced since the last one was scorched to near ashes - as he left the room, and almost immediately ran into Alfonse.

"Ah, Summoner," the prince greeted, and they both went right back into the room. "Just who I wanted to see. I was wondering..."

It was the usual concerns about lodging; the Order was full to bursting as it was. When he first arrived, he'd pictured a magical building that would have more rooms as more residents arrived, and indeed, it had certainly seemed that way with the sheer size of the building. There was more room than they knew what to do with at first. As more Heroes arrived, however, things were getting more and more cramped.

Most were staying at least two to a room - not a problem for the most part, since the Heroes could bunk with others from their own world. Kiran was one of the few who still had a room themselves, but it didn't seem that that would last. It wasn't quite every day anymore, but new Heroes still arrived every once in a while - faster than new accommodations could be made, for sure.

So they had taken it upon themselves to allow for more room. Between battles, the Heroes worked on adding new lodgings to the Order's headquarters. It was a job that was likely to never be finished in full, but it provided work for those warriors who couldn't stand to be idle for too long. In particular, Dorcas and Bartre had attacked the job with great gusto, and had already finished six new rooms working together.

The reason Alfonse wanted to see him was to try and work out where else they could place more rooms. They hadn't attempted anything on the upper floors of the building yet, and he thought it was a good time to start, since too much focus on the ground floor would make the building wider than it was tall.

"No, no, that won't do," Kiran said, looking at the diagram of the headquarters that Alfonse had brought with him. "We need to keep it localized as much as possible." He pointed at the second floor. "Maybe some here, but if we make it too top-heavy, the whole place'll collapse."

Alfonse looked pained. "Summoner, please. We're running out of space on the lower levels. We've no choice but to build it upwards."

Kiran put one hand on his chin, eyes darting all across the diagram, and tried to think of a solution when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Summoner."

He jumped, clutching his chest, and looked around. Arvis was standing behind them.

"Am I interrupting? My apologies," he said.

"No, no, nothing of the sort," Kiran replied. No one knows how to knock in this place... "What d'you need?"

"I had some questions I needed to ask you," Arvis explained. "But I can return-"

Kiran waved his hand flippantly. "Don't worry about it." He turned back to Alfonse. "We have all the time in the world to work things out. Can we discuss this later?"

Alfonse nodded dutifully - Kiran couldn't help but think how strange that was, for a prince to be answering to someone like him - and left the room. Kiran graciously followed, glad to be out, and turned to the Emperor of Flame.

"Shall we walk?" Arvis asked. Kiran gratefully accepted the offer, and they strolled through the halls.

"What's the matter?" Kiran asked.

"I simply had some questions for you," Arvis told him. "Namely, about your summoning. Do you know from what world you summon the Heroes from?"

Kiran blinked. A simple matter, of course, and it made sense for Arvis to be curious, but it still caught him off guard. "Once they arrive, yeah. I mean, I know all their histories. Once I get a good look, and they introduce themselves, I can tell. Why?"

The emperor ignored the question. "And how is it decided who you summon?"

Kiran narrowed his eyes, but continued. "No clue. I just fire Breidablik and see what happens. Why do you ask?"

Arvis still didn't answer, and appeared in deep thought. Kiran snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Arvis. Why do you want to know?"

Arvis finally looked at him. "Ah... forgive me, Kiran. I've been thinking..."

He trailed off. Kiran sighed impatiently. "You've been thinking...?"

Arvis pursed his lips. "I have thanked you in the past for bringing me here, and reuniting me with my family, Kiran. I have seen my daughter, and Deirdre, when I thought I never would again, and it feels as though I've been blessed because of you. I could not be more grateful. But I must know..."

The Emperor of Flame put one hand on Kiran's shoulder and spoke in an urgent whisper. "Where is my son, Kiran? Where is Julius?"

There was something hard in his eyes. Kiran stared him down. "I'm sorry, Arvis. I don't know."

Arvis' crimson hair had fallen around his face a bit, and he gritted his teeth. After a moment, he pulled back and composed himself. "Forgive me, Kiran. I simply..."

Kiran shook his head. "Nah, I understand," he said seriously. "He's still family. And hey, summoning's not the only way I find new Heroes, right? Just look at how you joined us. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for him."

The emperor looked grateful. "Thank you. It seems I am once again in your debt."

"You can thank me when we find him," Kiran replied.

Arvis inclined his head, and walked off.

{asterisks}

It is known that after a long, arduous battle against the Grannvale Empire, Prince Seliph's liberation army marched across the kingdom toward Castle Belhalla, across the same land where his father lost his life nearly two decades prior. His army faced and defeated the enigmatic Deadlords before moving on to Prince Julius himself; however, reports of this battle are unreliable, and it is unknown who dealt the final blow. But what is universally agreed upon is that the strength of the Twelve Crusaders stood with Prince Seliph that day.

This was known as the end of the Loptous Cult. Although other factions were known to exist, such as the Schwarze Rosen, based in Thracia, they quickly collapsed upon the deaths of Bishop Manfroy and Prince Julius. In particular, Bishop Veld of the aforementioned Schwarze Rosen was defeated by-

"Kiran!"

The summoner yelped, and slammed the thick tome shut. A cloud of dust shot out and he coughed several times.

Matthew stood behind him, looking a little sheepish. "Sorry. I've been calling after you for a while, but you didn't say anything."

Kiran clutched his chest, waiting for his heart to stop pounding. "Damn... it's fine. What do you need?"

"Sothe had something to tell you, so we started lookin' around," the thief said. "We can wait for him in the main hall."

And so they walked. Kiran's mind was still in the book that he was perusing. He'd been trying to read up a bit on Julius after Arvis had expressed his interest.

He'd known some things already, of course, but only a basic understanding. Julius seemed like a force to be reckoned with, and not anyone who would want to join the Order. In Kiran's opinion, Arvis was setting himself up for failure. But he still wanted to try, for his sake. It was worth a shot.

Before he knew it, they'd arrived in the main hall. Kiran suddenly wished he'd brought the book with him. He couldn't stand waiting.

To that end, he got up and paced a bit. He focused his eyes on anything even remotely interesting - the view out the window, a funny pattern in the stone on the walls - and tried to keep his mind occupied.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. Sothe showed up a few minutes later. Kiran greeted him, and the young thief delivered his report.

"Same spot as usual," he began. "There's an unfamiliar face in the northeastern reaches."

Kiran hummed. "Can you describe him?"

"Well, he looked quite a bit like Arvis," Sothe said. Kiran blinked in surprise, but motioned for him to keep going. "He had some pretty nice robes, and his hair was bright red. He had a tome, too, but I didn't get a good look at it."

Well, that was fast, Kiran thought, but as usual, he chose not to question fate.

"That's good to know," the summoner said with a nod. He thought for a moment, and then motioned for Matthew to come over as well. "I want you two to round up Arvis, Ishtar, Reinhardt, and Julia for me. We're moving out as soon as possible."

{asterisks}

The journey was made in silence.

It wasn't uncommon to have a bit of banter among the party under normal circumstances, but everyone knew what they were to do today. The tension was palpable.

Kiran hated it. He tried to think of something that he could use to start a conversation - he had to get his mind off of just how nervous he was.

"What are we up against, Arvis?" he asked.

The Emperor of Flame had a hardened look on his face. "Julius uses the power of the Loptous tome. To my knowledge, he's the only one who can wield it. Just by holding it, most attacks have little to no effect on him."

Kiran pondered that. "Most?"

"The Book of Naga is the only known way to counter this effect," Arvis continued. "With enough time, it's possible that he could be defeated with another weapon, but it's unlikely. And even Naga won't ensure victory."

Kiran nodded. "It's a good thing we have everyone here, then."

Arvis said nothing.

Several more minutes passed in silence before they arrived at a wide clearing. There was a lake off to one side, and a bridge under their feet. Kiran looked across the way and saw...

Well, he saw someone, but it sure wasn't Julius.

In fact, he didn't recognize this person at all, but he could see why Sothe's description led him to believe it was Julius. He definitely bore a striking resemblance to Arvis, and he wore some rather nice robes - however, these weren't the same regal, flowing robes that he had come to expect from royalty, but a simpler and less elaborate piece that he associated with religious figures.

He was just about to ask the person who he was, but Reinhardt beat him to it.

"Bishop Saias?"

"You know him, Reinhardt?" Kiran asked. He recognized the name, at least. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arvis' face turn stark white.

"Yes, I was acquainted with him for some time while I was in the service of Friege," the mage knight responded. He called out again. "Bishop Saias, is that you?"

The young man facing them finally seemed to take notice, and gave the group a warm smile. "Well met, Sir Reinhardt." He moved to close the distance between them, and Kiran's group stepped forward to meet him. Arvis lagged behind a little.

Before saying anything else, however, Saias turned back toward the nameless warriors behind him. "Your services are no longer needed. Thank you."

They disappeared. No flash of light or puff of smoke, they just vanished, leaving no trace that they were ever there. Kiran was a little disappointed.

He hung back a bit and watched as Reinhardt introduced Ishtar and Julia to Saias. Arvis stood a few feet away, chewing his lip and watching them.

Pieces started to fall together in his mind, but he didn't say anything to him yet. Instead, he stepped forward and stuck out one hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Saias," he said. "My name is Kiran. I'm the summoner and tactician for the Order of Heroes."

The bishop's eyebrows raised. "A tactician, you say? Interesting."

Reinhardt had a grin on his face - it might've been the happiest Kiran had seen him. "Ah, yes, Bishop Saias is quite the skilled tactician as well, Kiran. He is known as one of the greatest minds in all of Jugdral!"

The bishop raised one hand. "You flatter me, Sir Reinhardt."

Kiran shot a look backward. "There's one more member of our group here, Saias. Would you like to meet him?"

"Of course."

Kiran gestured for Arvis to step forward, and he did - but it was very reluctantly. Saias traded a look with him, and his face turned unreadable.

"This is Emperor Arvis," Kiran introduced. "I'm sure you're quite familiar with him."

"I am," Saias said. He kept watching the Emperor of Flame. "Hello... Father."

The other three Heroes looked astonished. Arvis seemed to be struggling for a response.

At this, Kiran decided he'd suffered long enough, and got Saias' attention again. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got a proposition for you..."

{asterisks}

And that was that. Saias was more than willing to join the Order after Kiran made his pitch. He wasn't Julius, but the summoner didn't mind that much - on the contrary, he was glad he wouldn't have to figure out a pitch for the young prince, once he inevitably arrived.

The conversation on the way back was polite and friendly, and mostly kept between Reinhardt and Saias himself. Ishtar and Julia watched with pleasant smiles, but Julia occasionally tossed worried looks back at Arvis.

Kiran was walking next to the Emperor of Flame, behind the rest of the group. He tried to start conversation himself a few times, but Arvis seemed determined to ignore him.

When they returned to the Order, Saias was very quickly greeted by Leif and Seliph, who both seemed quite glad to see him, and while everyone seemed to be occupied, Arvis tried to slip away through a side hallway.

Kiran wasn't about to let him get away that easily, and followed. Unbeknownst to him, someone else did as well.

"Arvis!" Kiran called, hurrying to catch up. Arvis walked faster. "Dammit, get back here!"

"I wish to be alone," the Emperor told him without stopping. He rounded a corner. Kiran kept giving chase.

"You have to-"

"LEAVE ME, I SAID!" Arvis bellowed suddenly. "WHEN YOUR EMPEROR GIVES YOU AN ORDER, YOU FOLLOW IT, YOU DAMNABLE FOOL!"

Kiran stopped in his tracks, eyes widening. To say that Arvis was angry would be an understatement. The emperor was a presence, to the point that he almost seemed to grow taller as he yelled. A flickering aura of flame suddenly came into existence around his body, and Arvis didn't even seem to notice.

He stepped back toward Kiran, face twisted in rage, when there was a small voice from behind them.

"Father...?"

Kiran's head whipped around, and he saw Julia standing there, looking quite fearful. Arvis looked past him at her, and his expression changed to one of shame almost immediately. The fiery aura disappeared, and he reached out one hand.

"Julia-"

But she had already run off. Arvis took a step as though he would chase her, but simply bowed his head and covered his face with his hands. Kiran took a hesitant step toward him, then another when there was no response.

When he was at Arvis' side, the Emperor of Flame finally spoke. "I thought I told you to leave me." His voice sounded lifeless.

"You did," Kiran responded. "But any idiot can tell there's something you need to get off your chest."

Arvis nodded miserably. "I never... I didn't expect to see Saias again for a long time..."

"Let's find a spot to sit down and you can tell me all about it," Kiran said.

It took a second, but Arvis drew himself back up to his full height, and the pair walked.

They found a stone bench just outside the Order's largest garden, and sat.

"I want your word that you will tell no one what I am about to tell you," Arvis said quietly.

"Of course," Kiran said. "This'll stay between us."

The Emperor of Flame took a deep breath. "Thank you."

Kiran thought about what to ask first, and eventually decided on "I thought you only had two kids."

"So did everyone else," Arvis responded. "Saias was always meant to be kept a secret from everyone."

"Why's that?"

"He is not Deirdre's son."

Kiran's eyebrows shot up. "He's illegitimate?"

The Emperor nodded. "You must understand, Kiran... When I became the duke of Velthomer, the only goal I had was to be nothing like my father."

"I thought you wanted to end the prosecution of Loptous' descendants."

Arvis gave him an annoyed look. "Do you know how old I was when my father died?"

Kiran thought. "Eight?"

"Correct. I was a child. When I was eight years old, I don't think I even knew about my true heritage. I was well-educated, to be certain, but I was still a child, and cared little for politics. But I knew exactly how much I resented my father. I swore when I took the throne that I would be nothing like him."

Kiran nodded along. "Sure, I understand that. But then, why'd you have Saias?"

The emperor sighed. "Manfroy came to me some time before the war began. He said he knew of my heritage, and wished to help me achieve my goal of peace for Jugdral. I didn't trust him, but he threatened to reveal my secret, so... I had no choice but to work with him. He told me that he desired a child with the holy blood of both Fjalar and Loptous running through his veins."

"Which was Julius."

"Do you know the distinction between major and minor descendants of the Twelve Crusaders, Kiran?"

"Sure," he replied. "Major descendants can wield the holy weapons. Like how you can use Valflame, since you're a major descendant of Fjalar."

"Yes," Arvis confirmed. "Manfroy wanted a child who was a major descendant of both Fjalar and Loptous, so he could wield both Valflame and the Loptous tome. But I didn't want to give him that kind of power, which is why Saias was born."

Comprehension dawned on Kiran's face. "And since only the first born child of a generation inherits major blood..."

"...Saias could wield Valflame, but not Loptous," Arvis finished. "And Manfroy wouldn't get what he wanted."

"So you had a child out of wedlock in order to try and foil Manfroy," Kiran mused. "Clever. Who's his mother?"

"Aida, my friend and confidant," the emperor replied. "There was no one else I could trust more."

Kiran whistled. "Can't say I expected all this."

"I knew Manfroy would be furious if he learned of Saias' existence, so I concealed him in Velthomer for as long as I could before accompanying Aida to a small village, far away from there," Arvis continued. "I instructed her to protect him before I returned to Velthomer."

"And that would've been... after the Battle of Belhalla?" Kiran guessed.

"Yes, about three days after," Arvis confirmed. "That was the last time I saw Aida. I know little of what happened to them afterward."

There was silence for a moment. "That's quite the story."

Arvis cracked a slight smile. "My family tends to be."

Kiran chuckled at that. "So... what's stopping you from talking to Saias now?"

The Emperor of Flame sighed. "Because... to me, he is the living reminder of the failure to achieve my goal. A necessity though he was, Saias is still living proof that I... am not completely distinct from my father. And it is a source of great shame to me."

Kiran blinked. "Wait. What?"

"I cannot help but feel that-"

The summoner held up one hand. "Stop. You're kidding, right?"

Arvis blinked. "To what do you refer?"

Kiran stared for a moment, and then chuckled bitterly. "Oh, gods, he's serious..." he said to himself. "Are you listening to yourself right now, Arvis? Did you actually hear anything you just said?"

The emperor just looked at him with a blank expression on his face.

"I can't believe I actually have to explain this to you," Kiran said. "For all the impressive shit you've done, you can be really dense sometimes, Arvis."

"To what do you-"

"He's your damn child, you idiot!" Kiran said accusingly.

"You dare-"

"Shut up and listen to me for a sec!" the summoner commanded. "Saias isn't a 'necessity,' he's not a 'source of shame,' he's a human being!"

Arvis stared with wide eyes. Kiran took a breath, and forced himself to calm down a bit. "Okay. I understand wanting to distance yourself from your father. Really, I do. He was a piece of work. But whatever you think of your decision to have Saias doesn't change the fact that he's still your child."

"Kiran-"

"Let me finish, please," Kiran requested. "If it were a matter of not knowing what to say to him after you've spent so many years apart, I could understand that. But the fact that you view your own child as a source of shame to you is... it's just awful, Arvis. You need to talk to him."

Arvis pursed his lips, and was silent for several seconds. "You're right, of course," he said quietly. "But what am I to say?"

"It doesn't have to be fancy," Kiran told him. "Just tell him that you love him. Promise you'll spend time with him when you get the chance. Just be a dad, Arvis. It's not like you don't have any experience there."

The Emperor of Flame closed his eyes. He took a breath. And he nodded.

"C'mon, then," Kiran said. "Let's find Saias."

And so they walked. It took a few minutes of searching and asking around, but they did eventually find Saias. He was still talking to Leif.

Kiran gave Arvis a little push, and the Emperor stepped forward, clearing his throat to get his son's attention. Saias turned and looked at him, expression unreadable.

Arvis cleared his throat again, and spoke with some difficulty. "Saias, I... I wish to apologize for my earlier behavior. I was wrong to treat you the way I have, and... I wish for you to understand that I love you, and... I am proud to call you my son."

Saias didn't say a word. He just looked Arvis in the eye, and for a second Kiran thought he said something wrong.

But then the bishop stepped forward and embraced him, holding Arvis in a tight hug. "I love you too, Father," he said, voice cracking. Arvis hesitated for just a moment before wrapping his arms around his son.

Kiran couldn't help but smile.